Apparatus for coiling a web of rod-like material



United States Patent [72] Inventor Kenneth W. Woolever 2,660,382 1 1/1953 Wilson 242/158 Pleasantville, Ohio 2,719,678 10/1955 Lanstrom 242/158.4X [21] Appl. No. 747,258 3,152,773 10/1964 Brown 242]! 57.1 [22] Filed July 24,1968 3,188,013 6/1965 Geen 242/158.4X [45] Patented 1970, Primary Examiner-Nathan L. Mintz [73] Asslgnee Ka'ser Alumllum Chemical Corporation Attorneys-James E. Toomey, Paul E. Calrow, Harold L.

Oakland Cabral-ma Jenkins and John S. Rhoades a corporation of Delaware [54] APPARATUS FOR COILING A WEB OF ROD-LIKE MATERIAL 14 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 242/158 [51] B651! 57/28 [50] Field ol'Search 242/l58.4,

[56] 1 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,140,924 5/1915 Underhill 242/158.4X

ABSTRACT: An improved apparatus for coiling a continuously advancing web of rodlike material about a reel to form a tangle-free coil. The apparatus is generally comprised of a movable carriage disposed in spaced relation to the reel for traversing and controlling the lag angle of the material to be coiled on a reel. An improved electromechanical sensing device is used to control the traverse movements of the carriage in accordance with the desired lag angle and the desired manner and rate of coiling of the material about the reel.

Patented Dec. 1, 1970 Sheet v A I. FER V, H UH. Wm m Fl- M. WW m Wm W M M M yam W /L m R QQ mQ mw v5 w .II I a m X an E NN 3 mm QM. NM m m5m NM 3 Patented Dec. 1,1970

- Sheet Arrow/5y g F! m 4M Patnfd Dec. 1, 1970 Sheet i or 4 aw m- H I n R 8 a I 8 M I Q 5m o9 n N "m M W 1 W NV w W A n H 0 5 wfi .mQ wQ d N Q8? wwub msfi N w B 3%? g f g .H m. Q9 I... E SEEhg \vamx 4 cm H 8T E Q8233 Q Patented Dec. 1, 1970 Sheet K/EWM'H/ I44 Woozevee AITUF/VEY APPARATUS FOR COILING A WEB F ROD-LIKE I MATERIAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an apparatus for coiling a continuously advancing web of rodlike material. More particularly, it relates to an improved apparatus for preferably coiling in a helical fashion about a reel a continuously advancing web of welding wire. The improved apparatus includes a movable' carriage provided with a unique and precise electromechanical sensing arrangement for following and slidably engaging selected trailing portions of the wire web, during the winding thereof about the reel, in order to'effect precise movement of the carriage in a direction and at a rate that is fully consistent with the rate and direction of helical coiling of the wire web about the reel so as to produce a relatively tangle-free helical coil made up of uniformly compact and tightly wound layers of individual wire windings.

Various apparatus have been designed in the past for controlling the wrapping of a web of rodlike material about a reel. Examples of such prior art apparatus are illustrated in US. Pat. No. 2,660,382 to Wilson, granted on Nov. 24, 1953, and US. Pat. No. 3,152,773 to Brown, granted on Oct. 13, 1964. One of the principal deficiencies present in these prior art apparatus represented by these patents is that even though these apparatus provided a movable carriage or guide for following and slidably engaging selected trailing portions of the web, guides of the patents failed to precisely follow the web about the reel and only loose nonuniform windings were formed on the reel. In certain types of wire such as welding wire used in arc welding, the wire must first have been tightly wound in order to be properly fed to a welding tool.

SUMMARY OF THE INSTANT INVENTION It is the primary purposeof the instant invention, therefore, to provide an improved apparatus for use in coiling a continuously advancing web of rodlike material such as welding wire about a reel in which the apparatus includes unique means disposed in spaced relation to the reel for effecting the formation of a tangle-free coil made up of relatively tight and uniformly compact individual wire convolutions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings:

P16. 1 is an overall top plan and somewhat diagrammatic view of an embodiment of an apparatus of the instant invention for coiling, a continuously advancing web of rodlike material;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 when taken generally along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and with certain parts broken away;

FIG. 2A is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view taken along line 2A-2A of FIG. 1 with parts broken away and illustrates certain details of the carriage of the instant invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevational view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 with certain parts removed;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a suitable control circuit that can be used with the apparatus of the instant invention;

FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating certain voltage output characteristics of a sensing element used in the apparatus of the instant invention;

FIGS. 6A-6C constitute diagrammatic views of a carriage, a reel and part of a guiding and flexing device of the instant invention and illustrate various relative operative positions of the carriage, reel and the aforesaid device during coiling of a length of welding wire or the like about a reel; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged diagrammatic view of a reel showing several layers of welding wire tightly wound about the reel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION With further reference to the drawings, and in particular FIGS. l-3, an apparatus 10 is illustrated which constitutes a preferred embodiment of the instant invention for helically coiling a continuously advancing web W of rodlike material such as welding wire about a reel in order to produce a tanglefree helical coil C made up of relatively tight and uniformly compact convolutions. Apparatus 10 generally comprises separate frameworks 30 and 40 disposed on a common support S. A web straightener 14, a guide and flexing device 16 and a movable reel traversing carriage 13 are all individually mounted on the framework 40 and a reel mechanism 20 is mounted on or attached to the framework 30; The framework 40 is made up of interconnected angle-shaped members that form a framework of approximately L-shaped configuration and includes a raised shelf portion 40a along the shorter leg section thereof for mounting the carriage 18 in spaced and generally horizontally alined relation to the. reel mechanism 20 on the framework 30.

With particular reference to FIGS. 1-2 and 7, in effecting helical coiling of a continuouslyadvancing web W of rodlike material about a reel 38 so as to form a tangle-free helical coil C made up of uniformly compact and relatively tight convolutions, the continuously advancing web W during the helical coiling thereof about a reel 38, must be wrapped under a sufficient tension while at the same time being disposed at the proper angle V relative to the longitudinal axis of the reel 38 at the initial point of engagement P of a trailing portion of the web W with the reel 38. The angle V will be referred to as the lag angle throughout the specification, claims and drawings of the instant application, and the specific lag angle used is, of course, dependent upon such factors as the type and size of material being wound, etc.

The lag angle V of the trailing portions of the web W varies in magnitude as successive portions of the web W are helically coiled about the reel 38. When a portion of the web W, during coiling about the reel 38, approaches either of the flanged ends of the reel, it causes the helical angle of the given layer of windings to be gradually reduced, thereby also gradually reducing the lag angle of the web W about the reel 38, as indicated, for example, in solid and dotted lines at V and V in FIG. 7. The lag angle V for any given initial point of engagement P is further determined by the radial distance of a given layer of winding of web W relative to the longitudinal axis of the reel 38, and this angle V will tend to decrease as successive layers of windings build up on the reel 38.

When web W is held under sufficient tension during the coiling thereof about the reel 20 and maintenance of the proper lag angle V is effected, the various individual windings of the web W will be substantially fully nested together about the periphery of the reel and a final helically wound tanglefree coil C is produced. If the lag angle V is too large for any given initial point of engagement P of a trailing portion of the web W about the reel 38, the resolved component force of the tensioned web W at the initial point of engagement P will be excessive, thereby causing the particular convolution of the web W being formed about the reel 38 to improperly build up against the adjoining and upon the previously formed convolution and result in a nonuniform layer of windings of the web W about the reel 38. If the lag angle V is too small for any given initial point of engagement P of the web W about the reel 38, the component force of the web W in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the reel will be insufficient to assure proper nesting of the convolution being formed about the reel 38 adjacent to the adjoining and the previously placed wire convolution on the reel 38 and result in various windings skipping across the underlying layer of windings in a random fashion. The overall net result, if any layer of helical windings includes nonuniform or relatively loose windings, is a tangled coil, which is undesirable.

As indicated in FIGS. 6A through 6C, the direction of coiling of one layer of the web W about the reel 38 is the reverse of adjacent layers. Thus, the lag angle V of successive layers of windings is also reversed. The movable carriage 18 of the apparatus of the instant invention includes unique follower and control means mounted thereon that form part of an electrical control circuit 19. The unique follower and control means slidably engages selected trailing portions of the web W in order to effect controlled movement of the carriage 18 at a preselected rate and in a direction that is fully synchronized with the rate and direction of the helical coiling of the web W about a given reel 18. This results in maintaining the proper lag angle V for any given initial point of engagement P of a trailing portion of the web W with the reel 38. By carriage l8 slidably engaging the trailing portions of the web W under sufficient tension while maintaining the proper lag angle V of a trailing portion of the web W at the initial point of engagement P with the reel, the formation of a tangle-free helical coil C made up of relatively tight and uniformly compact windings is assured.

Depending upon the type of web material W being coiled about a given reel 38, the apparatus may further include a guide and flexing device 16 mounted on the framework 60 and disposed in spaced relation to the carriage 18, all as indicated in FIG. 2. The continuously advancing web W can be supplied to the apparatus 10 in any suitable manner such as by the payout reel 22 having a coiled body X of web material W wound thereabout in the manner depicted in FIG. 1. Payout reel 22 can be mounted on a shaft 26, the ends of which are rotatably connected to a pair of spaced trunnions 24. In order to assure sufficient back tension of the web W during the helical coiling thereof about a given reel 38, an adjustable friction-generating device 28 of appropriate design may be connected to the shaft 26. Normally, the web W needs to be straightened to facilitate the proper coiling thereof about a given reel 38. Thus a conventional roller straightener device schematically shown at 14 can be mounted on the framework 40, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-2. A further auxiliary and adjustable guide device 180 can be interposed between the carriage l8 and the reel device 20 for slidably engaging a trailing portion of the web W in order to insure proper reversal of the direction of coiling of the web W about the reel 38, as will become more apparent hereinafter.

The reel device 20 generally comprises a pair of spaced trunnions 32 mounted on the top of the framework 30 and a shaft 34 extending between and connected to these trunnions 32 with a reel 38 being fixedly connected to the shaft 34. A motor 36 connected to one end of the shaft 36 is used to rotate the reel 38 at the desired speed after affixation of the leading end of the web W to the reel 38.

Although the apparatus 10 of the instant invention has been illustrated as being used for coiling a length of aluminum welding wire into a helical coil, it is to be understood that it is not limited to such usage. Further, the web W can be a ferrous as well as a nonferrous material and can have any suitable crosssectional configuration such as circular, oval or even polygonal, for example, rectangular. The material of the web W during the coiling thereof should also be so tensioned as not to exceed the elastic limit or yield point thereof.

The carriage 18 generally comprises a base plate 44 and a slide 46 of relatively shorter length slidably connected to the base 44. Plate 44 is suitably attached to a cover plate 42 affixed to the top of the elevated portion 46:: of the framework 40, as indicated in FIGS. 1-2. Two pairs of upstanding cars 48 are secured to opposite sides of the base 64 in spaced rela tion to each other and to other similarly disposed cars 50 secured to opposite sides of the slide 46. A rod 52 extends between and is secured to a pair of opposing and alined ears 48. In securing each rod 52 to its alined pair of ears 48, the rod 52 is also passed through axially alined apertures (not shown) in the ears 50 on opposite sides of the slide 46, thereby slidably connecting the slide 46 to the base plate 44 of carriage 18. If desired, bearings can be mounted in the apertures (not shown) of the ears 50. As is evident in FIG. I, the curriage slide 46 is movable relative to the rods in a direction generally transverse to the path of travel of the web W of rodlike material being wound about the reel 38.

The lower end of the base 64, as viewed in FIG. 1, includes an outward extension 54 of reduced width disposed between the cars 48. A double-acting-fluid actuator 56 is affixed in a suitable manner to the extension 54 such that the rod end 56 of the double acting piston of the actuator 56 is connected to a downwardly extending car 60 affixed to the adjacent edge of the slide 46 and disposed between the spaced cars 50 thereof. Upon operation of the control circuit 19, as will be subsequently described, the fluid actuator 56 causes controlled movement of the slide 46 at a preselected rate and in a direction relative to and along the spaced rods 52 of the carriage 18.

A follower and control arm 61 is advantageously pivotally mounted to the top of the slide 46 of the carriage. The follower control arm is generally comprised of a bar 62 of appropriate length mounted by means of a stanchion sleeve 64 upon slide 46. In affixing the sleeve 64 to the bar 62, the bore of the sleeve is alined with an aperture of the bar 62 thereby defining a common opening through the bar 62 and sleeve 64, as best illustrated in FIGS. 1-2 and 2A. A stud bolt 66 is weldably affixed at its lower end to an approximately central point at the top of the slide 46 and in an upstanding vertical position relative thereto as indicated in FIGS. 1-2 and 2A. The arm 61 is adapted to be pivotally mounted to the slide 46 upon first assembling the arm 61 to the upstanding bolt 66 by passing the upper end of the bolt 66 through the common opening of the stanchion sleeve 66 and bar 62 in an appropriate fashion as depicted in FIGS. 1-2 and 2A. The upper end of the bolt 66 is threaded and is adapted to threadably engage a conventional nut assembly 68 in a known manner so as to hold the arm 61 about the bolt 66 in pivotal relation to the slide 46.

The forward end of the arm 61 disposed adjacent the reel 20 includes a bifurcated guide element 70 that slidably engages the trailing portions of the web W prior to their introduction onto the reel 26. This guide element 70 includes a pair of spaced upstanding fingers 72 between which the web W passes and a downwardly projecting plug 74 disposed within a closed end aperture 76 at the forward end of the bar 62 of the arm 61. The guide element 70 is releasably attached to the bar 62 by one or more set screws 76', which abuttingly engage an annular recessed portion 78 of the plug 74. As indicated in FIG. 2, the follower and control arm 61 in being pivotally mounted on the slide 46 is so arranged relative to the reel 38 that the pins 72 are of a height corresponding to the radial extent of the layer of windings of web W to be wound about the reel 38. In order to assure proper sliding engagement of the pins 72 with selected trailing portions of the web W, during the coiling thereof about the reel 38, the pins 72, when the guide element 70 is attached to the bar 62 of the arm 61, as aforedescribed, are preferably adjusted so as to be disposed generally transverse to the path of travel of the web W being wound about the reel 38.

An electromechanical sensing element or transducer 80 is mounted on the slide 46 and operably connected to the follower and control arm 61. As indicated in FIGS. 1-2, two pairs of C-shaped clamps 82 are used to hold transducer 80 in the proper position. The lower C-shaped clamp of each one of the two pairs of clamps 82 is affixed in an appropriate fashion to the top surface of the slide 46, thereby securing the transducer 80 to the slide 46. The transducer 80 includes a rod or armature 64, one end of which is connected to the arm 61, as will now be described in detail. As indicated in FIGS. 1-2 and 2A, an inverted bracket 86 is dependingly affixed to the under side of bar 62 between the follower sleeve 64 and the guide element 70. One leg section of an angle-shaped lug 90 is attached to the lower end of the bracket 86 by a cap screw 91 as illustrated in FIG. 2A. The other leg section of the lug 90 includes a threaded aperture for adjustnbly and threndably engaging the threaded end of the armature 84 of the transducer. A lock nut 92 locklngly secures the threaded connection of the rod 84 to the lug 90.

Although the internal construction of the transducer 60 is not shown in detail, it is preferably made up of a series of primary and secondary electromagnetic coils disposed in surrounding and electromagnetic relation to the armature or rod 84. The armature is capable of linear displacement between the ends of the transducer, whereby, as the armature is displaced between the ends of the transducer, the coils of the transducer translate such a displacement of the rod 84 into an electrical signal or impulse. Thus, when the arm 84 of the transducer 80 by virtue of its being connected to the follower and control arm 61 in the aforedescribed manner is displaced in response to the pivotal movement thereof, it acts to transmit an electrical signal that is indicative of and precisely corresponds to the pivotal movement of the arm 61. The rod 84 is mechanically biased by a spring (not shown) to a neutral position in which usually no electrical signal is transmitted by the transducer 80. When connecting the rod 84 to the arm 61, as aforedescribed, it is preferred that the neutral position of the rod 84 be set to correspond to those conditions when the longitudinal axis of the arm 61 is in full alinement with the lateral or transverse axis of the carriage slide 46, such as is indicated in FIG. 6B.

A suitable electrohydraulic control circuit 19 is connected to the fluid actuator 56 and the transducer 80. It is to be understood, of course, that any suitable control circuit capable of performing the functions of circuit 19 can be used with the apparatus of the instant invention. The input of the electrical circuit is made up of three lines 94 for connection to a suitable three-phase a.c. source, as depicted in FIG. 4. The three lines 94 are firstly electrically connected to a motordriven pump 96 for causing operation thereof. The fluid input conduit 93 of the pump 96 is connected to a reservoir 100 for admitting fluid to the motor driven pump 96 in order to supply fluid under pressure to the fluid output conduit 102 connected thereto. A servovalve 104 is connected to the output conduit 102, return line 110 and to a pair of conduits 106 and 108 which are connected to either end of the fluid actuator 56. The servovalve selectively directs fluid under pressure from the supply conduit 102 to either one of the pair of conduits 106 and 108, thereby efiecting movement of the piston of the actuator 56 in either direction. As noted above, an exhaust conduit 110 is connected at one end to the servovalve 104 and at the other end to the reservoir 100, thereby returning the exhaust fluid to the reservoir 100 in a conventional fashion when the piston of the actuator 56 is moved in either direction. An adjustable relief valve 101 is connected across supply conduit 102 and exhaust conduit 110 by aconduit 103 so as to control the fluid pressure in the supply conduit 102.

The pump 96 is selectively turned on and off by an electrical branch control circuit of the control circuit 19. A pair of lines 112 are connected across two of the lines 9 3 of the threephase input line system. A manually operated switch 116 and a solenoid-118 are series connected across a further pair of branch lines 120 and 122. Lines 112 are electrically coni nected to branch lines 120 and 122 by a transformer 114. The solenoid 118 is connected to a series of three normally open contacts 118a, 1181: and 118c each one of which is connected across one of the lines 94- between the pump 96 and the a.c. input source. When the operator closes the switch 116, the solenoid 118 is energized causing closure of the normally open contacts 113a-c thereby energizing the electric motor of the pump 96. If desired, the solenoid 118 can also include a normally open contact 118d connected across a bypass for the manual switch 1 16 for the purpose of forming a holding circuit across the switch 116 so as to maintain the solenoid 118 energized after the operator releases the switch 1 16.

Branch lines 120 and 122 are also connected to the input of the transducer 80, and an amplifier 128 is connected across the conduits 120 and 122 by the lead lines 130. An adjustable rheostat 132 is connected across the pair of output lines 134 of the transducer 80 and the output line 136 of the rheostat 132 is connected to the amplifier 128. The lines 138 intercon meeting the amplifier 128 and the transducer 80 transmit a feedback signal from the amplifier 128 to the transducer 80, and the output of the amplifier 128 is connected to the solenoid 133 of the servovalve 106 by lead lines 131.

The motor 36, which rotates the reel 38 of the apparatus, is connected to two of the three conduits 94 by a pair of leads 140, a rectifier bridge 144 for converting alternating current to direct current and a pair of leads 142 connected to the input of the direct current motor 36. In order to selectively energizethe motor 36, a solenoid switching circuit is connected across the leads 120, 122 and the pair of lines 140. The solenoid switching circuit includes a line 146 connected across lines and 122. A manually operable switch 148 and a solenoid 150 are series connected across line 146. The solenoid 150 controls a pair of normally open contacts 150a and 1S0b each one of which is connected to one of the lines 140. A normally open switch 150: in a bypass circuit can also be connected to the solenoid 150, if a holding circuit is desired across the switch 148. Thus, when the switch 148 is closed by the operator, the motor 36 will be energized, and rotate reel 38 at the desired rate of rotation.

As indicated in the graph of FIG. 5, when the rod 84 of the transducer 80 is displaced to either side of its neutral or zero position, the transducer 80 will transmit an electri gal signal that is picked up by the amplifier 128 and transrnlitd to the solenoid for valve 104. The greater the displacement of the transducer rod 84 to the left of the-zero or neutral position, as viewed in FIG. 5, causes the transducer 80 to transmit an electrical signal of stronger intensity. Similarly, when the rod is displaced to the right of the neutral or zero position, as viewed in FIG. 5, the transducer 80 causes transmission of an electrical signal of increased intensity but of opposite polarity.

The pivotal movement of the arm 61 relative to the carriage slide 46 is caused by trailing portions of the web W slidably engaging arm 61 and exerting a tension on the arm 61 during winding of the web W about the reel 38. This pivotal move ment of the arm 61, since it is connected to the rod 84 of transducer 80, in turn causes the electrical signal transmitted from the transducer 80 to be increased or decreased in intensity to energize the solenoid 133 in such a fashion as to further open or close the servovalve'104, depending on whether slide 46 in its traverse relative to reel 38 is either ahead or behind the desired convolution winding operation such that the desired lag angle V is not being retained. Further opening of the servovalve 104 admits more fluid under pressure from supply conduit 102 to either side of the double acting piston of the actuator 56, as the case may be, so as to move the carriage slide 46 in a direction and at an increased rate, but consistent with the direction and rate of coiling of the web W about the reel 38. Further closing of the valve reduces the fluid supply to piston 56 and slows down the movement of slide 46. The increase or decrease in movement of carriage slide 46 is required to maintain the slide 46 in the desired reel traversing position whereby arm 62, through the medium of rollers 72, will always cause web W to be fed to reel 38 at the optimum lag angle V.

In certain instances, depending upon the particular reel being used in the apparatus, as well as the size of the web material being wound, it may be desirable to shift the neutral position of the transducer 80 from that previously described. Shifting of the neutral position of the transducer 80 may be done electrically by the adjustable rheostat 132 connected across the output lines 134, as illustrated in FIG. 4. As indicated by the dotted lines in FIG. 5, depending upon the adjustment of the rheostat 132, the neutral position or zero signal output of the displaced transducer rod 84 can be shifted to the left or right of the normal zero signal position of the rod 84.

The guiding and flexing device 16 is comprised of a pair of parallel-spaced plates 158 of approximately triangular-shaped configuration and a base plate 160 connected to the opposed lower edges of the parallel-spaced plates 158. Plate 160 is attached in a suitable manner to the cover plate 156 of the framework 40 adjacent the elevated portion 40a thereof. A series of shafts 162, 164 and 166 are disposed in parallel-spaced relation to each other, and they extend between and are connected to opposed plates 158, all as indicated in FIGS. 1-3. A

series of idler pulleys 168, 170 and 172 are respectively rotatably and slidably mounted on the three shafts 162, 164 and 166. These pulleys can be of different sizes with pulley 172, for example, being of the largest diameter while pulley 168 is of the smallest diameter, all as illustrated in FIG. 2. The lower shaft 166, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, includes inwardly extending spacers 174 at each end of the shaft 166 for limiting the extent of slidability of pulley 172 relative to its shaft 166, and shaft 164 includes similar spacers 176. Spacers 176 are shorter in length then spacers 174. One of the advantages of the guiding and flexing device 16 is that even though the direction of the web W at the input of the device 16 is usually different than the direction of the web W at the output of the device 16, when the web W is being coiled about the reel 38, the ability of pulleys 168, 170 and 172 to slide or shift on their respective shafts acts to prevent flexure of any portion of the web W beyond the yield point thereof while at the same time maintaining the directional movement and speed of travel of the trailing portion of the web betweenthe reel 38 and the device 16 fully consistent with the directional movement and rate of coiling of the web W about the reel 38, as indicated in FIGS. 1-3.

As indicated above, the web W may have to be passed through a straightener device 14 prior to its being coiled about the reel 38, and if used in conjunction with the takeup device 16, it is usually located ahead of the device in the fashion shown in FlGS. 1-2. The straightener device 14 is attached by an appropriate series of cap screws 178 to bed 156 of the apparatus 10, and it contains the usual series of rollers (not shown) through which the wire web W is threaded to effect the straightening thereof in a known manner.

An auxiliary guide device 180 can be mounted between the reel 38 and the movable carriage 18, if desired. The device 180 includes a base 184 that is affixed to a bracket 182 of angle shape, the vertical leg section of which is attached to the upper end of the leg portion 40a of framework 40 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2. The upper end of base 184 includes a longitudinally extending groove 186 of approximately inverted V-shaped configuration. A pair of spaced blocks 188 are mounted within the groove 186 for slidable movement between the ends thereof. A feed screw 190 is rotatably mounted at the opposite ends thereof to the opposed end plates 192 which form part of the base 180 and which close off the opposed end of the groove 186. The opposite ends of the feed screw 191) are reversibly threaded andare adapted to threadably engage correspondingly reversibly threaded bores (not shown) in the blocks 188 in a fashion similar to the adjusting screw of a common bench vise, during assembly of the feed screw 190 and blocks 188 in the groove 1S6 between the end plates 192 in the general fashion illustrated in FIGS. 1-2. A pair of upstanding pins 194 are affixed to the blocks 188 such that upon rotation of the feed screw 1911 in either direction by the operator, the blocks 188 and pins 194 can be adjusted towards and away from each other.

As indicated in FIGS. 1--2, the opposed inner surface portions of the pins 194 on the device 180 are normally set so as to be in substantial radial alinement with the flanges on the reel 38. By alining the pins 194 with the flanges on the reel 38 in this fashion, the successive trailing portions of the wire web W as they are being progressively wrapped in one layer about reel 38 will tend to slidably engage one of the pins 194. Such engagement of the trailing portions of the web W with a pin 194 will cause these portions of the web W being wound about the reel to automatically reverse their direction of coiling so that the wire, during formation of the next coiled layer, will move in the opposite direction and toward the other reel flange. These pair of pins 194 therefore serve to positively reverse the direction of coiling of the web W between the flanges of the reel 38, thereby assuring the build up of wire in coil C in the form of uniform layers and individual tight windings. The pins 194 of the device 180 are used to particular advantage in effecting proper reversal of the direction of coiling of the wire web W between the flanges of the reel 38 in cases where the flanges of the reel are somewhat distorted due to normal abuse as when the flanges of the reel 38 are made of a flexible material and lack sufficient rigidity to resist the thrust of the wire web W and force the wire web W to reverse its coiling direction upon contact therewith.

An operative embodiment of the apparatus 10 of the instant invention will now be described, reference being made to FIGS. 6A-6C, wherein a welding wire web W is being wound on reel 38. As indicated in FIG. 6A, as a first layer wire is wound about the reel 38 in a direction that proceeds from the right flange of the reel 311 toward the left flange as viewed in FIG. 6A, the follower arm 61 pivots counterclockwise by virtue of the wire exerting a left hand tension on the pins 72 of the arm 61. By virtue of the counterclockwise position of the follower arm 61, the rod 84 of the transducer 811 will be displaced a selected amount to the left. Such leftward displacement of the rod 84 causes the transmission of an electrical signal from the transducer to the solenoid 133 of the servovalve 104 so as to efiect opening of the valve 104 to admit fluid under pressure to the branch conduit 1118 on the right side of the piston of the actuator 56, thereby moving the carriage slide 46 to the left at a preselected rate whereby the car riage movement will keep up with the left hand winding such that the desired lag angle V will be maintained. When the windings of the first layer of the web W about the reel 38 approach and contact the left flange thereof, as viewed in FIG. 6B, the lag angle at the point of engagement P approaches or collapses to zero as the follower arm is first turned clockwise to a new position that substantially coincides with the transverse axis of the carriage slide 46. When arm 61 is in this position, the transducer 811 does not transmit any electrical signal and valve 104 is automatically biased to a closed position so as to stop further movements of the carriage slide 46 all as illustrated in FIG. 6B. As indicated in FIG. 6C, the direction of the coiling of the web W is shown as reversed from the direction of coiling in FIGS. 6AB and now the coiling proceeds to the right. In the meantime, follower arm 61 has been pivoted clockwise to its new right hand position while causing displacement of the transducer rod 84 in a rightward direction to effect transmission of an appropriate electrical signal of opposite polarity from transducer 80. This electrical signal of opposite polarity causes the solenoid 133 of the valve 104 to move the valve 104 in an opposite direction, thereby admitting fluid under pressure to branch conduit 106 and the left side of the piston of the actuator 56. All of this causes the stopped carriage slide 46 to be moved in the rightward direction and at a preselected rate consistent with the direction and rate of coiling about the reel 38 and maintenance of the desired lag angle V.

From the above description it will be observed that the follower arm 61 in being pivotally mounted on the slide 46 so as to slidably engage selected trailing portions of the web W, together with the manner in which it is connected to the transducer, provides a simple yet extremely sensitive device for maintenance of the desired lag angle V for each convolution in each layer of convolutions so that each convolution can be precisely emplaced and a final, uniformly wrapped and tanglefree coil produced. The upper pulley 168 of the device 16 advantageously follows the direction of coiling about the reel 38 at all times to maintain the trailing portions of the web W in a straight path of travel between the reel 38 and the pulley 168.

In use of the apparatus 10 of the instant invention, it has been found that a commercially available transducer, Model No. 6020401-A-OO-KK, and a commercially available amplitier, Model No. 012049, both supplied by the Automatic Timing and Controls, lnc. King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, can be satisfactorily used as the transducer 80 and amplifier 128 in the control circuit 19. The servovalve 104 of the electrical control circuit 19 can comprise a commercially available servovalve, Model No. SC4-O3-OO4-20, supplied by Vickers, Inc. of Detroit, Michigan.

Use of the apparatus 10 has been found particularly advantageous in the coiling of aluminum alloy welding wire having a diameter on the order of 0.030 inches to 0.093 inches and commercially identified and registered by the Aluminum Association of New York, New York, by the numbers I 100, 5056 and 5356. The aforementioned compositions of aluminum alloy wire, whether in an annealed condition or of hard temper, have been satisfactorily wound into a tangle-free coil by use of the instant apparatus. These aluminum alloy wire were wound under a tension of from 10 to 25 pounds, while the reel 38 was rotated at a speed of about 1800 r.p.m. In winding the wire about the reel 38, the lag angle varied from 0 to l.5, and the pressure of the hydraulic fluid within the supply conduit 102 was maintained at 350 to 400 p.s.i. by adjusting the relief valve 101 in a known manner.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for coiling a web of rodlike material in the form of individually tight and uniformly compact windings about a reel, said apparatus comprising a movable carriage disposed in spaced relation to said reel, a web follower means pivotally mounted on said carriage for controlling the lag angle of the web during coiling and provided with means for slidably engaging selected trailing portions of the web, said engaging means acting in response to the tension exerted thereon by the web to selectively control the pivoting of the web follower means on the carriage, actuator means connected to said carriage for moving said carriage in a given direction and at a preselected rate consistent with the direction and rate of coiling of the web about the reel, and electromecharucal sensing means mounted on said carriage and operable to transmit a selected electrical signal in response to a given pivotal position of said follower means for controlling said actuator means whereby said actuator means will operate to move said carriage in the desired direction and at a preselected rate to maintain the desired lag angle of the web during the coiling thereof.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said actuator means comprises a fluid actuator.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the web follower means is set to cause the web to engage said reel at a lag angle on the order of about l.5 during the major portion of the coiling of the web.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including means for guiding and flexing selected trailing portions of said web prior to the engagement of the web by said follower means.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including means for straightening selected trailing portions of said web prior to the engagement of the web by said follower means.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including means for straightening and means for guiding and flexing selected trailing portions of said web prior to the engagement thereof by said follower means.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including guide means disposed intermediate said carriage and said reel for slidably engaging selected trailing portions of said web and for acting in conjunction with portions of the reel in order to effect reversal of the direction of coiling of the web about said reel.

8. An apparatus for coiling a web of rodlike material in the form of individually tight and uniformly compact windings about a reel, said apparatus comprising a movable carriage disposed in spaced relation to said reel, a web follower means pivotally mounted on said carriage for controlling the lag angle of the web during'coiling and provided with means for slidably engaging selected trailing portions of the web, said engaging means acting in response to the tension exerted thereon by the web to selectively control the pivoting of the web follower means on the carriage, actuator means connected to said carriage for moving said carriage in a given lateral direction and at a preselected rate consistent with the lateral directional movement and rate of coiling of the web about the reel, electromechanical sensing means mounted on said carriage and means for interconnecting said follower means and said electromechanical sensing means, said electromechanical sensing means bein operable to transmit a selected electrical signal in response 0 a given pivotal position of said follower means for controlling said actuator means whereby said actuator means will operate to move said carriage in the desired lateral direction and at a preselected rate to maintain the desired lag angle of the web during the coiling thereof.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8 in which said electromechanical sensing means is comprised of a transducer.

1.0. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8 in which the said engaging means on said follower means is comprised of a pair of spaced pins for receiving selected trailing portions of said web therebetween.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8, including means for guiding and flexing trailing portions of said web prior to the engagement thereof by the web follower means.

12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 11 in which said guiding and flexing means includes pulley means.

13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 11 in which the pulley means is freely movable in a lateral direction consistent with the lateral direction of movement of the web as it is coiled about said reel.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, including guide means disposed intermediate said carriage and said reel for slidably engaging selected trailing positions of said web and for acting in conjunction with portions of the reel in order to effect reversal of the direction of coiling of the web about said reel. 

